Tuesday, 19 December 2017

Here we present an LP by a well-known Jewish Shashmaqom singer from Uzbekisten, who lived apparently most of his life in Dushambe, Tajikistan. We posted in 2016 a MP3-CD with classical music from Bukhara containing 5 folders. One of these folders with 12 tracks is devoted to our artist. See here. We couldn't find much information on the singer in western languages, but there seems to be some in Russain, like here in the liner notes of the LP. Perhaps someone is so kind to translate the liner notes for us.

And here is already a translation of the liner notes by kkrka kr:

"Boris Namatiev, the Honored Artist of Tajik SSR is an actor of the A.
Lakhuti State Drama Theater. During his 40 year career in the theater he has
starred in numerous productions of classic plays, as well as plays by Soviet and
Tajik playwrights.

Thanks to his solid vocal skills, he was particularly celebrated as an
actor in musical plays, such as "The Exam" by F. Ansori (Sharif Ismati), "Arshin
mol alan" by U. Gadjibekov (Asker), "The 30 kopeks charge" by Sh. Kiyamov and
Farkhad (Kamal - police sergeant), and others.

B. Namatiev has done an outstanding deed in preserving and promoting the
musical treasures of the Tajik Shashmaqom. He has made recordings of the most
difficult/complex parts of this true pearl of folk art. The present record is
the result of a long creative labour by a wonderful Tajik artist."

The recordings were made in 1985-87. Track titles are given in Tajik (which
I unfortunately do not speak), followed by bracketed words "classic melody -
[poet] (e.g. Hafez, Bedil...)" and once in A4 it says "folk melody".

Many thanks for the translation. Very appreciated!

On this LP the repertoire is from Shashmaqom. The ensemble plays a little in a more contemporary style bordering on Khalq (from or of the people, folk) music.

Here what we found in the internet on the artist (more focused on his acting career):

"NAMATIYEV, BORIS-ABO DAVIDOVICH (1930, Kerki, Turkmenistan). Actor,
singer, and producer. Honored Artist (1970) and People’s Artist of Tajikistan
(1989). Graduated from the Artistic-Musical College (1954). Since 1948 -
soloist of the orchestra of folk instruments. Actor of A. Lakhuti Tajik
State Dramatic Theater. Played more than 100 various roles. Soloist at the
children’s Ensemble “Pamir”. Participant of the decade in Moscow in 1957.
Engaged in concert production, performing fragments of shashmakom. Repatriated
to Israel in 1992. Created the М.Tolmasov and G.Mullokandov Bukharian-Jewish
Theater (1993-2002), where he plays in scene and produces performances:
“Yosef-Ha-Tzadik” (by A.Shalamayev), “Arshin Mal Alan” (1994),
“Esther-ha-Malka” (“Queen Esther” by А.Shalamayev, 1996), “Sacrifice of Isaac” (by B.Namatiyev and N.Yukhananоv, 1998), “Haft Barodaron” (“Seven
Brothers”, 1999); “Apa Kalmoki Kaimok” (“Aunt Kalmok”) and “Gardishi Davron”
(“Whirlpool of the Times”) – on the plays of А.Shalamayev. From 2002, the
theater is renamed as “Theater of Boris Namatiyev”. His creativity is described
in P. Niyazov’s book “Theater of Boris Namatiyev” (2000)."

4 comments:

Boris Namatiev, the Honored Artist of Tajik SSR is an actor of the A. Lakhuti State Drama Theater. During his 40 year career in the theater he has starred in numerous productions of classic plays, as well as plays by Soviet and Tajik playwrights.

Thanks to his solid vocal skills, he was particularly celebrated as an actor in musical plays, such as "The Exam" by F. Ansori (Sharif Ismati), "Arshin mol alan" by U. Gadjibekov (Asker), "The 30 kopeks charge" by Sh. Kiyamov and Farkhad (Kamal - police sergeant), and others.

B. Namatiev has done an outstanding deed in preserving and promoting the musical treasures of the Tajik Shashmaqom. He has made recordings of the most difficult/complex parts of this true pearl of folk art. The present record is the result of a long creative labour by a wonderful Tajik artist."

The recordings were made in 1985-87. Track titles are given in Tajik (which I unfortunately do not speak), followed by bracketed words "classic melody - [poet] (e.g. Hafez, Bedil...)" and once in A4 it says "folk melody".

You are very welcome. I'm happy to be of help - your blog has provided me with so many wonderful musical treasures. I looked at some more sources in the Russian segment of the net and the books from Google Books, but only little bits of information are available: he apparently not only sung but played the daf, and there was also a second album in 1990. I haven't yet heard the MP3s you posted earlier to compare with this record, but perhaps those 12 tracks are that second album.

There are some videos on Youtube of his various roles in theater, if you search in Russian:https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%81+%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%B2(Hopefully the link will work for you!)